Dual dry chemical fire extinguisher

ABSTRACT

A PORTABLE CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER IS DISCLOSED WHICH COMPRISES TWO CONTAINERS, EACH CARRYING A DRY CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHING POWDER, CONNECTED TOGETHER TO FORM A UNITARY, BACK-CARRIED, EXTINGUISHER. THE TWO CONTAINERS FEED A SINGLE DISCHARGE MANIFOLD SO THAT THEY MAY BE DISCHARGED THROUGH A SINGLE HOSE AND PISTOL GRIP NOZZLE. A PROPELLANT GAS CARTRIDGE IS CONNECTED TO THE TWO CONTAINERS THROUGH A COMMON PRESSURE MANIFOLD TO PROVIDE EQUAL PRESSURE IN THE TANKS, WHEREBY BOTH DISCHARGE AT THE SAME TIME. THE PISTOL GRIP NOZZLE HAS A MODIFIED TRIGGER WHICH FACILITATES OPERATION OF THE EXTINGUISHER.

March 20, 1973 w. E. ROESSLER 3,721,299

DUAL DRY CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed May 5, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR WALTER E FIG. 2 ROESSLER' March 20, 1973 w. E. ROESSLER3,721,299

DUAL DRY CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed May 5, 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 2//vv/vr0/? WALTER E. ROESSLER United States Patent 3,721,299 DUAL DRYCHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER Walter E. Roessler, Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico,assignor to Gulf Oil Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa. Filed May 3, 1971,Ser. No. 139,547 Int. Cl. A62c 13/00 US. Cl. 169-31 P 4 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A portable chemical fire extinguisher is disclosedwhich comprises two containers, each carrying a dry chemical fireextinguishing powder, connected together to form a unitary,back-carried, extinguisher. The two containers feed a single dischargemanifold so that they may be discharged through a single hose and pistolgrip nozzle. A propellant gas cartridge is connected to the twocontainers through a common pressure manifold to provide equal pressurein the tanks, whereby both discharge at the same time. The pistol gripnozzle has a modified trigger which facilitates operation of theextinguisher.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates, in general,to an improved dry chemical fire extinguisher, and more particularly toan extinguisher which is made up of two containers manifolded togetherand serviced by a common high pressure gas cartridge and discharge hose,each being disposed between the containers, thereby producing abalanced, easily carried unit with improved handling and fireextinguishing characteristics.

Dry chemical fire extinguishers of the portable type are, of course,well known and are commonly used. Such extinguishers generally provide apressure-resistant container that is adapted to receive a quantity ofdry powder composition in a finely divided state. A high pressure fluidmedium such as dry air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or the like isintroduced into the upper part of the container either initially, or isstored in an auxiliary container and introduced into the powdercontainer immediately prior to use. The powder which is generally usedin a bicarbonate of soda either by itself or as a base with modifyingagents. Such powders are well known in the art, and do not constitute apart of the present invention. The high pressure gas which is fed intothe dry chemical container fluidizes or aerates the dry chemical whichmay then be discharged at the bottom of the powder container through anoutlet nozzle which is hand manipulated for directing a stream of thechemical agent at the fire.

One of the main problems encountered in the use of dry chemicalextinguishers is that of providing a construction that will provide aflow of extinguishing powders of sufiicient dispersion, flow rate andquantity as to eifectively smother various types of fires, and inparticular Class B fires involving highly flammable liquids such asgasoline and oil. Because of the design of past portable extinguishers,a practical limit was placed on their weight, for they had to be carriedin one hand by the operator while he manipulated the nozzle with theother hand. It has been found that the normal limit for such devices isapproximately thirty pounds of extinguishing powder, for this amounttogether with the weight of the container and CO charge represents aboutthe maximum that the average man can easily handle during a firefighting operation.

It has been further found that the hand-held portable extinguisherlimits the mobility of the operator, for not only is the containerawkward and difficult to handle, but it requires the use of both handsat all times. These devices may be provided with a sling that permitsthe ex- 3,721,299 Patented Mar. 20, 1973 tinguisher to be supported onone shoulder, but this is not a great improvement for it throws theoperator off balance, and does not free him to perform acts such asclimbing a ladder. Although there have been many advances in the fireextinguisher art in the past few years, the foregoing limitations arestill found on commercially available extinguishers, thus limiting theireffectiveness and usefulness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of the presentinvention to provide an improved portable fire extinguisher which may beeasily carried and handled by an operator, increasing his mobility andthus his effectiveness in fighting fires.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a portablefire extinguisher having an increased load of extinguishing material,thereby substantially increasing the usefulness of the device Withoutproviding an excessive burden for the average operator.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide aportable fire extinguisher which is adapted to be carried on theoperators back and which provides a balanced, distributed load thatenables the average operator to easily handle a much greater amount ofextinguishing material than was normally the case with prior portableextinguishers.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a dualchamber portable fire extinguisher which is adapted to be carried on theback of the operator in such a manner as to provide a balanced anddistributed load while at the same time providing a greater capacity forextinguishing powder, whereby a greater fire area can be extinguished byan operator than was possible with prior conventional devices.

Briefly, the present invention is a portable dry chemical fireextinguisher which consists of two cylindrical containers connectedtogether at the upper end by a gas pressure manifold and at the lowerend by a discharge manifold to form a unitary device. A source of highpressure gas such as a carbon dioxide cartridge is connected in commonto the two cylinders by way of the single pressure manifold, while asingle hose with a pistol grip nozzle is connected to the two containersin common through the outlet manifold. The use of these manifoldsinsures a balanced delivery of powder from both cylinders so that inoperation the powder is delivered at approximately the same rate fromeach container to maintain the proper balance. Suitable support webbingand shoulder straps are provided to permit the device to be carried onthe back of the operator, with the hose being of sufiicient length toenable him to discharge the extinguishing powder accurately and withouthand fatigue. The container is provided with a suitable bracket topermit it to be supported in an upright position, as on a wall, so thatthe operator can quickly slip into the carrying harness and lift theextinguisher from its bracket for immediate use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and additional objects,features, and advantages of the present invention will become evidentfrom a consideration of the following specification, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the dual fire extinguisher of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a back view of the fire extinguisher of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a bracket suitable for receiving thefire extinguisher; and

FIG. 5 is a crosssectional view of a nozzle suitable for use with thedevice of FIG. 1.

3 DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now to a detailedconsideration of the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a dualportable dry chemical fire extinguisher in accordance with the presentinvention. The extinguisher consists of two dry chemical containers and12 which are of substantially conventional design, being rounded at thebottom to facilitate aeration of the dry powder extinguishing material,as at 14 and 16, and having wide-mouthed necks 18 and 20 at the tops bywhich the containers may be loaded with extinguishing material.Removable closures 22 and 24 provide air-tight seals so that there willbe no leakage when the containers are charged with a high pressurepropellant gas. The closures 22 and 24 are easily removable to permitthe containers to be loaded with standard extinguisher powder cartridgesof commercially available extinguishing powder such as, for example,that known as Purple K. In the illustrated example, each container isdesigned to hold twenty pounds of the dry chemical fire extinguisherpowder, thereby providing a total of forty pounds of powder in acontainer arrangement that is easier to handle than the standard,presently available thirty-pound dry chemical extinguishers. Aspresently contemplated, containers 1t) and 12 will be of conventionalsteel construction; however, as lighter metal alloys become availablefor fire extinguisher use, it will be possible to reduce the weight ofthe present unit by some fifteen to twenty pounds, thereby furtherfacilitating the handling of the extinguisher.

The two containers are interconnected near their upper end by a chargingmanifold 30 which is connected by way of pipe 32 to a suitable fittingon container 10 and by way of pipe 34 to a suitable fitting on container12. Pipes 32 and 34 preferably are threaded and back welded intomanifold 30 and into their corresponding fittings on the containers.

A standard high pressure gas cartridge 36 is also connected to themanifold 30, as better illustrated in FIG. 2. As shown there, manifold30 includes an inlet fitting 38 to which the outlet of the gas cartridge36 is connected by way of an outlet passage 40. The gas container 36 maybe of conventional design, and preferably will contain an inertpropellant gas such as carbon dioxide. The upper end of the cartridgecarries a valve firing assembly 42 of a conventional type which isadapted to be actuated when the powder containers 10 and 12 are to becharged with gas; in the preferred mode, this is done immediately priorto the use of the extinguisher. Any one of a variety of values mayberused for the carbon dioxide container, but a preferred form utilizesa frangible diaphragm seal (not shown) closing the top of the chargedgas cartridge. The valve assembly 42 is provided with a movable puncturepin such as that indicated at 44 which may be pressed down by means of amovable hand lever 46, illustrated in section in FIG. 2. A valvearrangement of this gen eral type is illustrated and described, forexample, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,719,590 to Guise, issued Oct. 4, 1955.

Hand lever 46 is pivotally attached to the valve assembly by means of apin 48, and is prevented from being moved by means of a ring pin 50which passes through the lever near its forward end which also passesthrough a pair of lugs 52 and 54 which are mounted on the valveassembly. When the extinguisher is to be used, ring pin 50 is pulled andthe hand lever 46 is pressed downwardly, depressing pin 44 to puncturethe sealing diaphragm in the gas cartridge. This releases the propellantgas which then flows into manifold 30 and through pipes 32 and 34 to thetwo containers 1t) and 12, thereby charging the extinguisher andpreparing it for use. Ten ounces of carbon dioxide will provide asufiicient charge for the dual system of the present invention, and willserve to discharge the forty pounds of dry powder with the required flowvelocity. It will be apparent that the particular size of the gascartridge, the pressure, the specific valve arrangement and the gas usedmay be varied as required by variations in the type of dry chemicalpowder used and the amount provided in the two containers.

Since manifold 30 provides an open path to containers 10 and 12, thepressure charge within the containers will be equal; thus, the flow rateof powder out of the containers will also be equal. The powder dischargeis effected by way of an outlet manifold 60 which is connected by way ofan outlet pipe 62 to the lower portion of powder container 10 and by wayof an outlet pipe 64 to the lower portion of container 12. Again, theseconnector pipes are threadedly connected to the outlet manifold (backwelded) 60 and the corresponding outlet fittings on the powdercontainers, or they may 'be connected by other suitable methods. Asillustrated in FIG. 3, the outlet manifold 60 is provided with adischarge fitting 66 to which is connected a conventional fireextinguisher discharge hose 68. The manifold 60 is open to bothcontainers 10 and 12, whereby an equal amount of powder from eachcontainer is delivered to the discharge hose 68 during operation of thedevice.

The inlet and discharge manifolds 30 and 60, together with theconnectors by means of which they are coupled to the powder containers10 and 12, serve to rigidly interconnect the two containers to form thedual configuration of the present invention. In addition to thesefittings, however, an additional connecting bracket 70 is providedwhich, as may be seen in FIG. 2, curves around the carbon dioxidecartridge to provide a shield for it, thereby preventing damage to thecartridge or its valve assembly. The connector bracket 70 preferably issnap fastened to the neck portion of the inlet manifold 30 and restsagainst containers 19 and 12, as at 72 and 74 in FIG. 1, thereby aidingin providing a unitary construction.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the containers 10 and 12 are providedwith webbing brackets to which a suitable harness arrangement may beconnected to provide easy carrying of the fire extinguisher assembly.Thus, container 10 carries brackets 76 and 78 located at the upper andlower ends thereof, respectively, while container 12 carries brackets 80and 82 which are similarly located. These brackets are welded orotherwise attached to the surface of the containers, and carry aplurality of webs or straps which serve to support the extinguisher onthe back of an operator in such a manner as to provide a distributedload that is relatively comfortable and which greatly facilitates thehandling of the extinguisher. A suitable webbing arrangement is shown asincluding an upper cross strap 84 which is connected between brackets 76and 80 and a lower cross strap 86 similarly connected between bracket 78and 82. These straps are stretched relatively tightly between the twocontainers to provide support at the shoulders and lower back of theoperator while he carries the extinguisher. A pair of shoulder straps 88and 90 are also provided, these straps passing over the operatorsshoulders in known manner whereby the weight of the extinguisher may beeasily supported. Shoulder strap 88 is connected between brackets 76 and78, this strap being partially cut away in FIG. 1 in order to betterillustrate bracket 78. Strap 90 is similarly connected between brackets80 and 82, one end of the webbing being connected to bracket 80 by aloop which is formed in the webbing and riveted together, and the otherend being looped over bracket 82 and also riveted together to carryingstrap 90. It will be apparent that the support webs 84 and 86 aresimilarly fixed at each end of the brackets. No adjusting buckles areprovided, as support straps 88 and 90 are of sufiicient fixed size for aperson to slip into. The weight of the unit pulls these straps up tight.

Aifixed to the back of each of containers 10 and 12 is an angle bracketfor supporting the extinguisher on a corresponding wall bracket. Asshown in FIGS. 2 and 3, angle bracket 8 is welded to cylinder 10 at ornear its upper end. The bracket is generally L-shaped with a horizontalleg extending out from the cylinder and carrying a depending peg 102.Similarly, L-shaped bracket is welded to cylinder 12 near its top edge,with a horizontal portion of the bracket extending out from the cylinderand carrying a depending peg 104. Pegs 102 and 104 are adapted to bereceived by a pair of spaced apertures 106 and 108, respectively, in awall mounting bracket 110, illustrated in FIG. 4. Bracket is generallyL-shaped to provide a horizontally extending shelf portion in which theapertures 106 and 108 are located, and has a depending steel leg portionwhich is adapted to act as a support for the twin unit cartridge cover70. As shown, bracket 110 is attached to a channel bar 112 forming apart of a building wall by means of nut and bolt assemblies such as thatat 114. A pair of rods 116 and 118 are fastened to the angle bracket 110and extend downwardly to an apex where a suitable support pad 120 isfastened. This support pad serves to maintain the fire extinguisher in agenerally vertical position when it is hanging on the wall bracket 110.The support pad preferably will contact the lower portion of theconnecting bracket 70 on the fire extinguisher unit, thereby preventingthe extinguisher from pivoting about the cylinder brackets 98 and 100into a position that would make it difiicult for the operator to pickthe unit up.

In order to insure a sufficient length of hose 68, two or more lengthsof standard dry chemical fire extinguisher hose may be coupled together,as by a suitable coupling it will be apparent, however, that a singlelength of hose of the appropriate dimensions may be used. This hoseshould be long enough to permit the operator to hold the nozzle at armslength, thereby facilitating the use of the extinguisher. As illustratedin FIGS. 1 and 5, the present invention contemplates the use of a pistolgrip type of nozzle 132 which is connected to the hose 68 by aconventional threaded coupling 134. A hand grip 136 is fas' tened to thenozzle and the hose coupling, and the operating lever 138 for the nozzleis formed as a trigger so that the operation of the nozzle is greatlyimproved. This arrangement reduces hand fatigue on the part of theoperator, and enables the operator to aim the discharge of fireextinguishing powder accurately so as to produce a maximum fire fightingeffect.

As illustrated in the sectional view of FIG. 5, the discharge line 68leads to a main flow channel 140 in the nozzle 132, the channel beingclosed at its outer end by a spring-biased valve 142. The nozzle outlet144 is of conventional design and is so constructed as to provide thedesired pattern of extinguishing powder for optimum fire control. Valve142 is biased to its closed position by a coil spring 146, the springextending between a shoulder 148 on the valve stem and a retainer 150mounted in the nozzle housing, A suitable sealer 152 is provided aroundthe valve stem to prevent leakage of the discharge material after thecontainer has been pressurized.

The stem of valve 142 extends through a bushing 154 to the exterior ofthe nozzle housing where it is connected by means of a stud, screw, boltor the like 156 to the valve lever, or trigger 138. Lever 138 ispivotally connected to the nozzle housing by a pin 158 and is biased ina direction to close valve 142 by a coil spring 160. This spring isshown as extending between a projection 162 on the lever and acorresponding oppositely extending projection 164 on the nozzle housing.

Grip 136 may be formed from a steel rod, for example, and it may includetwo yoke-like portions which extend around the nozzle housing 166 and168 whereby the grip may be clamped to the nozzles and to the hosefitting by nut and bolt assemblies 170 and 172. This grip allows theoperator to squeeze the trigger lever 138 against the compression ofsprings 146 and 160, thereby opening valve 142 to permit a flow ofextinguishing material.

To prepare the extinguisher of the present invention for use, the drychemical containers 10 and 12 are filled to an appropriate level with aconventional dry chemical extinguishing powder. As has been indicated,this material is inserted by way of the container openings 18 and 20,and after filling the sealing caps 22 and 24 are screwed down tightly toseal the containers. A charged CO cartridge 36 is then threaded into thebottom of the valve assembly 42, with firing pin 44 being in its upwardposition and the firing lever 46 being held in its upper position by pin50. The extinguisher is then hung on bracket 110 and is ready for use.When the extinguisher is needed, the operator pulls pin 50 and depresseslever 46, thereby pressing firing pin 44 down through the seal on the COcartridge 36. This releases the gas in cartridge 36 and chargescontainers 10 and 12 to the desired pressure, The operator then slipshis arms through the loops formed by straps 88 and 90, positioning theextinguisher on his back, and lifts the apparatus off of the bracket110.

The extinguisher provides a balanced load on the operators back, leavinghis hands free to manipulate the nozzle to operate the extinguisher. Ifthe operator requires both hands, as for climbing a ladder or the like,the discharge hose is long enough to allow it to be looped over hisshoulder. The nozzle arrangement allows the extinguisher to be operatedwith great ease and flexibility, and permits the discharge to be aimedso as to direct the spray at the proper point on the fire. The balancedarrangement of the containers permits the operator to carry a greateramount of fire extinguishing material without any appreciable increasein effort, thereby providing a significantly greater fire fightingcapability than is possible with existing thirty-pound hand-held fireextinguishers, which are the present standard. These improvedcapabilities have been proven in tests of the present device incomparison with a standard hand-held extinguisher, and the results ofsuch tests are included here as being illustrative of these improvedcharacteristics.

EXAMPLE I The dual container extinguisher of the present invention wasfirst compared with a standard hand-held 30 pound dry chemicalextinguisher in tests that did not involve fires to provide a basis forcomparing the two devices. The results of these tests are set forth inthe following table:

TAB LE Standard hand-held Dual container Characteristic extinguisherextinguisher Powder charge 30 pounds Purple K... 40 pounds Purple K.

Propellant 8% ounce 002 8% ounce CO2 cartridge. cartridge.

Time of discharge 23.7 seconds 27.0 seconds.

Reach of discharge 40 feet 6 inches 47 feet 0 inch.

Heiglt of nozzle above 3 feet 2 inches 3 feet 2 inches.

gra e.

Weight fully laaded.-... 53 pounds 73 pounds.

Weight, discharged. 34 pounds 47 pounds.

The fire extinguishing ability of the dual container device of thepresent invention was compared to the standard hand-held extinguisher toillustrate the improved capability of the present device. A fire wasignited in a cylindrical drum fifteen feet in diameter and eighteeninches high loaded with 200 gallons of No. 6 fuel oil, with five gallonsof gasoline being used as a starter. A fifty-five gallon drum waslocated in the middle of the cylinder and a four-foot by six-foot steelplate was mounted on the wall of the cylinder to provide fire hidingplaces. After the fire had been ignited, the standard thirty-poundhand-held extinguisher was used by an experienced operator in an attemptto put out the fire. This unit provided twentythree seconds of firingthe extinguishing powder, and when the extinguisher was depleted, thefire was still burning. This unit was thus unsuccessful in extinguishingthe fire.

The dual container extinguisher of the present invention was then usedon a fire of the type described above. An experienced operator fired theextinguisher in short bursts and in a period of thirty-six secondssucceeded in extinguishing the fire. After the fire was out, fourseconds of continuous powder firing remained in the extinguisher.

EXAMPLE III In a second test to establish the fire extinguishingcapability of the present invention, a fire was set in a cylinder thatwas five feet in diameter and twenty feet long, the cylinder lying onits side on the ground. One end of the cylinder was open, and a sidedoor was provided. A fuel oil fire was started in two split fifty-fivegallon drums located on a rack adjacent the cylinder, with oil spillagein the cylinder. In addition, a forty-foot long, sixteen inch diameter,sloping trough with small holes at six foot intervals was fed with acontinuous fiow of gasoline from its upper end, and the gasolineignited. The holes in the trough allowed gasoline to fall to the ground,causing a continuous surface fire.

A standard thirty-pound hand-held extinguisher operated by anexperienced fire fighter was first used on the fire. One minute andfifty-six seconds of short and long bursts of powder from the hand-heldunit failed to extinguish the fire in the cylinder, and no powder wasleft for the trough fire.

The dual container extinguisher of the present invention was operatedfor forty seconds of short and long bursts of powder by an experiencedoperator. This succeeded in extinguishing both the cylinder and troughfires, with fifteen seconds of continuous powder firing remaining. Itwas observed that the dual extinguisher discharged a greater amount ofpowder per unit time than the standard unit, and this appeared to be afactor in the success of this unit.

EXAMPLE IV To illustrate the ease of operation of the present device, afire was established in a forty-foot long, sixteen inch diameter slopingtrough. The trough had holes at sixfoot intervals, and was provided witha continuous feed of gasoline into the upper end of the trough. Leakageof gasoline through the holes produced a continuous surface fire. Aninexperienced, untrained operator was asked to extinguish this fire withthe device of the present invention. Thi operator had only fired asingle thirty-pound hand-held extinguisher prior to this test.

The untrained operator easily extinguished the trough fire and thesurface fire caused by the gasoline leakage. The gasoline was againignited and with the residual powder in the extinguisher, the sameoperator again extinguished the fire; thereafter, the operator firedeight seconds of continuous powder from the dual extinguisher of thepresent invention. The preceding tests clearly illustrate the greatlyimproved operation of the fire extinguisher of the present invention ascompared with presently used standard dry chemical extinguishers.

Thus, there has been described a dual container dry chemical fireextinguisher which produces by reason of its construction a significantadvantage in extinguishing fires. By arranging the device to be carriedon the back of the operator, the operators hands are freed for otheractivities such as climbing ladders or the like, and enables him to useone or both hands to direct the spray. The backpack arrangement providesthe operator with greater mobility while the long discharge hose andpistol grip nozzle provide increased flexibility of operation andimproved aim. Although the present invention has been described in termsof a specific embodiment, it will be apparent that numerousmodifications can be made without 8 departing from the true spirit andscope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A unitary portable dry chemical fire extinguisher comprising:

first and second generally cylindrical containers for receiving drychemical fire extinguishing powder;

a gas pressure manifold connected between the upper ends of said firstand second containers;

a discharge manifold connected between the lower ends of said first andsecond containers, said pressure and discharge manifolds interconnectingsaid containers;

a generally cylindrical propellant gas cartridge connectable to theinteriors of said containers through said pressure manifold saidcartridge being connected to said pressure manifold between said firstand second containers and through a valve assembly, said valve assemblybeing operable to retain said propellant gas in said gas cartridge untilsaid fire extinguisher is to be used, and being operable to charge saidcontainers equally with said propellant gas;

a curved connecting plate extending between and joining said first andsecond container in spaced parallel relationship to form a rigid andstrong container structure, said connecting plate partially enclosingsaid gas cartridge;

a bracket means located at the upper and lower ends of each saidcylinder;

harness means secured to said bracket means, said harness means being soarranged that said extinguisher may be carried on the back of anoperator and will provide a balanced, evently distributed load;

a discharge hose connected to the interiors of said containers throughsaid discharge manifold so that said powder is discharged evently fromsaid two containers to maintain a balanced load;

a discharge nozzle for said discharge hose;

a manually operated discharge valve for regulating the flow of saidpowder to said nozzle; and

means for operating said valve, including a trigger means pivotallyconnected to said nozzle and operatively connected to said dischargevalve, and grip means secured to said nozzle adjacent and generallyparallel to said trigger means, whereby the operator may squeeze saidtrigger toward said grip means to operate said discharge valve.

2. The fire extinguisher of claim 1, wherein each of said first andsecond containers includes an opening for receiving said firstextinguishing powder, whereby said extinguisher can be loaded andreloaded after use.

3. The fire extinguisher of claim 1, wherein said gas cartridge isparallel to said first and second containers.

4. The fire extinguisher of claim 1, further including mounting bracketson said containers for hanging said extinguisher in a vertical position,whereby an operator can quickly pick said extinguisher up for use.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,239,010 3/1966 Huthsing, Ir239-308 X 2,580,448 1/1952 Mapes et al. 169-31 R 2,778,435 1/1957Downham et al. 169-31 R FOREIGN PATENTS 1,304,362 8/1962 France 239-153650,506 1/ 1929 France 169-31 R M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner I.J. LOVE, Assitant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 239-454, 307

